5 exciting fighters who are flying under the radar going into UFC 274

Andre Fialho is flying under the radar this weekend despite an excellent showing last time out

This weekend sees UFC 274 go down from Phoenix, Arizona. Naturally, most of the attention is going on the two title bouts at the top of the card, as well as Michael Chandler’s likely war with Tony Ferguson.

UFC 274 isn’t just a three-fight card, though. This event is filled, top to bottom, with some excellent talent, meaning plenty of fighters are flying under the radar going into the event.

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Some of these fighters will be hoping to climb into title contention with a victory this weekend, while others will simply be aiming to claim one of the $50k bonuses on offer. Either way, they deserve a little more attention.

Here are five fighters who are flying under the radar going into UFC 274.

#5. Marcos Rogerio de Lima – UFC heavyweight

Marcos Rogerio De Lima practically guarantees a violent finish every time he fights

Given that he’s 36 years old, has been with the UFC for almost a decade now, and has an octagon record of 8-5, it’s probably fair to say that Marcos Rogerio de Lima is probably never going to climb into contention for the heavyweight title.

However, ‘Pezao’ guarantees one thing every time he enters the octagon and that’s sheer excitement. He might not look like a physical specimen, but the Brazilian is one of the most ruthless finishers on the entire roster right now.

More to the point, he’s also one of the most reckless and, in turn, most vulnerable fighters in the heavyweight division. Essentially, with his fighting style, all heavy strikes and non-stop attacks, it’s easy to see why just two of his 13 bouts in the octagon have gone the distance.

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This weekend’s event sees him paired with Blagoy Ivanov, a fighter who is practically the opposite of de Lima in that he rarely produces any kind of fireworks. Fans can probably expect that to change in this fight.

Ivanov is an expert ground fighter. While de Lima has won two fights in a row for the first time since 2014 to lead into this clash, the stylistic match still seems tricky for him. Therefore, if the Brazilian does pull off a win, it might be time to take him seriously as a contender.

Either way, this should be a crazy fight, and given his fighting style, ‘Pezao’ doesn’t deserve to be flying under the radar.